Posted on: 08/12/2023
Teaching reading can often be a daunting affair for teachers as arguably it is one of the most important subjects taught at primary school. And it is impossible to discuss the teaching of reading without referring to elements of the Reading Framework 2023. This important document was written to give clear guidance on how primary schools can teach reading and ensure children are fluent, motivated readers by the time they transition to secondary school. We have written a previous blog summarising the general key take aways from this document so please check this out also.
Here, however, we wanted to ‘zoom in’ further and explore what it says about the teaching of reading, particularly in KS2. What does an effective, engaging reading lesson look like? How can educators implement and build on this guidance. As the Reading Framework states, ‘reading is fundamental to education…Pupils who find it difficult to learn to read are likely to struggle across the curriculum, since English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching.’
The Reading Framework highlights a range of strategies for schools to effectively teach reading and also build a ‘reading for pleasure’ culture. The purpose for reading in a reading lesson, according to the framework, is to support children in developing mental models of texts, weaving a range of reading skills together (rather than teaching these in isolation). Teaching skills in isolation, only using the content domain, will reduce the curriculum down to those skills which can be assessed (as opposed to teaching the entirety of the reading curriculum) and does not reflect the process of reading which draws on a range of ‘strategies all the time.’ The aim should be to ‘create readers, not just pupils who can read.’ The framework therefore highlights the importance of reading in its own right.
Here are six key take aways from the Framework relating specifically to the teaching of reading at KS2.
As we have mentioned in a previous blog, we were delighted to see the importance of reading whole texts (and not just extracts) given a central role in the framework. The key point here is that there needs to be a ‘strategic approach’ with a rich array of core and diverse texts carefully planned and sequenced for in each year group. Texts which are more challenging than a pupil may choose to read independently can be used, with the teacher ‘brokering’ the more challenging vocabulary and ideas.
A fundamental component in any reading lesson is children being read to by a skilled adult, modelling a range of comprehension strategies and prosodic skills. Comprehension skills can include modelling to decode and comprehend unfamiliar vocabulary. It can include the teacher thinking aloud, making deliberate mistakes and modelling ‘comprehension monitoring’ techniques; how to fill gaps in understanding and to ‘stop and rewind’ to check for prior missed information. Modelling prosody well provides children with a deeper understanding of the meaning of the text and how the words and punctuation contribute to this. Prosody can also draw children’s attention to key words and phrases, refrains and the different voices in a text.
Not all reading lessons need to involve answering questions and recording. Certain sessions will involve reading and rereading a text or part of a text, whether this be the teacher reading aloud or the children. Paired reading can be an effective way to encourage children to read aloud. ‘Pupils who read at the same level might share a text or more fluent readers might read to those who are less fluent.’ Choral reading is an effective strategy which involves the whole class, along with the teacher, reading the text altogether. Antiphonal reading builds on this further, giving groups of children sections of a text (or a stanza from a poem) to read. Each table could potentially have a number and, when the teacher calls out their number, they read along. The teacher can ask them to ‘hold their voices’ whilst another numbered table picks up the thread.
In each session, it is important to build in time for discussion with children and for them to immediately react to the text. Avoid encouraging children to raise their hands when answering questions as this may well stifle some readers in the class who are less confident at taking part in discussion. A more inclusive approach would be to use talk partners and collaborative tasks so pupils can support each other with drafting answers and points of view. Perhaps have an opinion on the board such as ‘Kester is a selfish character. Do you agree or disagree?’ Once children have read the chapter once, they can work together to collect evidence to support their answer one way or another. Another activity could involve the teacher giving children different explanations for a character’s behaviour…can the children choose which one is the best explanation? Or rank the emotions a character might be feeling at a certain point in the story? It is vital however that discussion does not overly interrupt the flow and enjoyment of the reading.
Visualisation of a text, whether it be fiction, poetry or non-fiction, is a key strategy to help children build mental models as readers. Once a section of the text has been read, children could then collect all the descriptive words and phrases they find. Children could sort these phrases in different ways, matching them to pictures, drawings or one of the five senses. When confronting a more complex text, children could be encouraged to make diagrams of the various characters and settings, specifying how the characters are related to each other and the places in the book. Children may also draw story maps, ordering and summarising key events in the plot so far as well as sketching characters.
The framework highlights that questioning ‘is a principal part of good reading teaching, alongside a teacher’s explanations.’ Questions that support ‘elaboration, discussion and flexible thinking’ are key for reading lessons. It also stresses that questions need to be specific to a text rather than generic. We are advocates of children also being able to record their responses to texts in different ways. As mentioned earlier, this may be through visualisation but could also be through note taking, annotating a text with post-its as well as sorting and ordering statements. Children may do this in their reading response books or A3 class books.
Our Literary Leaves are well-placed to support schools with this as not only do they use whole texts but have a wealth of carefully considered text-specific questions and activities designed to encourage pupils to use their background knowledge to construct new mental models.
